


An Infernal Heart

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [47]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bigotry & Prejudice, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Death, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fate & Destiny, Friendship/Love, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Multi, Prophecy, Sacrifice, Secrets, Team as Family, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 06:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17893430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: The Fiorean Empire was embroiled in a civil war, darkness seeping back into the world, and seeing tensions rise amongst the different peoples. And amidst the conflict, there were rumoursof a prophecy, of whispered words from the Gods, about a half-born individual belonging to both bloodlines. An individual, that the darkness sought above all others – and which the Empire was now on the tail of.





	1. Prologue

  _The Fiorean Empire had ruled for nearly four centuries, it’s ascension to power at the end of the Infernal Wars, having heralded an era of peace that had seen the Empire and its friendly neighbours entering a period of prosperity and development. The capital Crocus became the centre of the trade and culture, despite boasting the largest proportion of the Empire’s military power as the seat of the royal family. While the centre of bureaucratic power had been moved to Era, for fear that having all command in one place would leave the Empire vulnerable to attack. And in with time, Era had come to hold its own power, as the royal family withdrew from direct rule apart from in exceptional cases, or in the advent of conflict. While in the east, Magnolia rose to prominence as a seat of learning, particularly in arcane matters, and would in time come to host the Empire’s Grand Library – holding more records, and arcane knowledge that even the Royal Library in Crocus._

_The so-called Infernal Wars had been caused by the efforts of a Tiefling Necromancer known only as Zeref, to combine the power of all demonic lines including his own, with the powers of the Dragons of Ishgar in order to achieve the resurrection and rule of the Undying God, Alvarez. His efforts and the widespread chaos and destruction he had caused had seen sentiments turn against all and any coming from Infernal and Draconic bloodlines, that had gradually eased during the years of peace. There were still certain areas, where suspicion remained, and those of those bloodlines were encouraged to move along as quickly as possible – sometimes with violence, but for the most part, they had found their place in the world. Zeref, on the other hand, had his name had been struck from the history books following his defeat, although whispers lingered even now, amid rumours that he had not been killed and continued to exist somewhere in the world. Waiting. Watching. Still seeking to complete his goal, but it was widely dismissed as myth._

_**_

_However, even myths have a kernel of truth at their root, and during the rule of Toma. E. Fiore, the whispers grew louder, and rumours spread of darkness in the west. With the whispers, came a resurgence of old tensions – with reports of ‘hunting parties’ tracking down Tieflings and those of Draconic Bloodlines, what might have been warnings in the past, spilling over into violence now that left the death count climbing by the day. The Rune Knights, the everyday militia were hard-pressed to cope with the situation, and eventually, the Emperor was forced to declare Civil War as the violence began to spill over into more and more cities, dragging other races into the crossfire, releasing the main army to try and bring the Empire back into order._

_They were also tasked with searching out the source of the discord, but even in the worse afflicted areas, information was hard to come by. Even those who had been most fervent in their efforts to hunt down the Infernal and Draconic bloodlines had had no answer, it was almost as though their actions had not been their own, although the conviction remained unshaken even in the event of their capture and interrogation. However, they did find other whispers._

_Rumours of a prophecy, of whispered words from the Gods, about a half-born individual belonging to both bloodlines. An individual, that the darkness sought above all others – and which the Empire was now on the tail of. Searching for a miracle it seemed at times, hoping that this person might have the answers that would bring the civil war to a swift end. Unaware that their efforts, and shifting focus, had drawn the darkness’ attention towards them._

_And that my dear adventurers, is where we begin…_


	2. Chapter 1

    Anyone stepping into the dank, dimly lit interior of the Dicey Endeavour tavern in the western subdistrict of Crocus could be forgiven for thinking that the patrons were oblivious to the civil war raging across the country. There was an almost festive atmosphere, undimmed by the unkempt surroundings or the less than savoury nature of some of the beings pressed into the narrow booths, or scattered around the mismatched tables that covered most of the floor space.

    It was into this mess of bodies that Erza entered as she pulled away from the bar, carefully balancing three drinks as she wove in and out of the revellers, deciding not to look too closely at the state of the tankards. A drunken gnome stumbled into her path, halfway through declaring his love for the ‘tall beauty in front of him’ when he happened to glance up, and register both the armour – lighter than usual, but still out of place here – and the scowl on her face, practically babbling apologies as he darted out of her path. Shaking her head, she made a beeline for the booth right near the back door and her companions who had spotted her approaching, perking up a little, and sighing as she saw Gray leaning across to tug Natsu’s hood back into place as the shorter Tiefling leant forward.

“Here we go,” she declared, setting the tankards on the table and pushing them across, choosing not to mention what she had just seen. “I’m not sure how clean the tankards are, but apparently this is the best ale this side of Crocus.”

“Like that means anything,” Gray muttered, shaking his head, the delicate chains on his horns jingling lightly at the gesture. Still, he took the drink and sipped it cautiously, and beyond a slight wrinkling of his nose, he didn’t make a complaint – although after days on the road, it could have been the worst ale in Fiore and it would still have been welcome. Natsu seemed less enthusiastic, and Erza wasn’t sure whether that was because of the taste, knowing that his senses tended to be on the sensitive side, or because he would have preferred to be in the middle of the tavern’s hustle and bustle, rather than tucked out of the way like they were. Probably a mixture of both, she thought with a sigh, taking a sip of her own drink, and immediately missing her home tavern, and it’s local brews, but she didn’t let it show on her expression, instead taking the opportunity to scan the rest of the bar.

     The patrons were an eclectic bunch, and she was relieved to see her companions weren’t the only Tieflings in the mix, and she had even glimpsed a Dragonborn when they’d entered, and she was glad to see that Jellal’s information that this was one of the safer places to stay seemed to be true. Not that she would trust it for long, and her eyes slid towards Natsu, noticing that he had taken to gouging marks into the wood of the table with the claws of his draconic arm. “Natsu,” she hissed in warning, because there was no point in inviting trouble, no matter how safe a place might seem, and he immediately snatched his hand back with a pained expression and her heart went out to him. “I’m sorry, but…”

“It’s fine,” Natsu cut her off, but they could all hear the lie in his voice, and see the way his other hand had tightened around the tankard, his shoulders hunched. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“You never do,” Gray retorted, although without the biting edge of mockery that had always accompanied his taunts when they’d first started to travel together. However, Natsu was already on edge, and not in the mood to be teased, and he snarled something in Infernal at the blue tiefling before shooting to his feet, nearly sending their drinks flying in the process. Erza had no idea what had been said, but it had been enough to have the hairs on her arms standing on end, and a small part of her was screaming at her not to interfere. However, that part was easily silenced as she realised that Natsu intended to walk away and she immediately reached out to grasp the edge of his cloak. Not enough to stop him, but enough to make him falter for a minute, and possibly hear her out.

“Natsu…”

“I’ll be careful, and I won’t go far.” _Or not,_ she thought as Natsu countered her argument before she could make it, thankfully in common, as he met her gaze. There were shadows in his eyes that hadn’t been there a few weeks ago, and she could feel her protests dying before she could give them voice, especially when he gave her a grim mockery of his old grin as he held up his non-draconic hand and allowed flames to flicker between his fingers for a moment. “Besides, it’s not like I’m helpless and I have Happy with me.” There was a chirruping noise from under the hood, and a furry nose appeared, as the grey cat who looked almost blue under the candlelight in the bar peered up at them with large eyes.

“Just…be careful,” Erza replied with a sigh, realising that this wasn’t going to be an argument that she could win at this time. Besides, they were at least in a relatively safe area, the fact that they were in Crocus and the military presence here, meaning that the prejudices and dangers that they had encountered on the road were limited and that people were more likely to intervene and help than they were in more rural areas. Still, she was uneasy as she watched him go, even when he opted to slip out of the back door, rather than trying to push his way through to the front door, and when he disappeared from sight, she sank back in her seat with a sigh and gulped a mouthful of her drink.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to let him go?”

“It’s better than the two of you causing a scene in here,” Erza pointed out, glaring at Gray over the rim of her tankard, making him squirm before she added sternly.  “Seriously, you need to stop riling him up.” It was a lot better than it had been when she’d first met them, but even so, with everything that was happening in Fiore right now, they needed to be more careful than ever.

“It’s not just me!” Gray protested.

“I know, and I’m going to say the same thing to him once he’s cooled down a little,” Erza promised, mollifying him slightly, and he sighed, reaching up to tug lightly on one horn as he always did when embarrassed.

“I’m worried about him,” he admitted after a moment. “He’s not used to having to hide so much, and the idiot loves being around people.”

“I know, but until either the war ends, or we can find the answers to those rumours we can’t be too careful,” Erza’s lips twisted at her own words, knowing that didn’t make the current situation any easier. That was why they had risked coming into Crocus, and seeking out this tavern in the first place, hoping to give Natsu at least a taste of normality, and maybe they were too cautious, but it had been harder to turn off their wary watchfulness than either of them had expected.

*

    They lapsed into silence after that, sipping their drinks and trying not to let their eyes linger too long on Natsu’s empty seats. Erza was just debating whether to get another round when they heard a raised voice near the entrance, but whatever they were saying was soon lost, as the light-hearted atmosphere seemed to melt away in an instant. Other voices rising in a mixture of alarm and outright fear, and she found her hand automatically slipping to her sword even as shadows swirled around Gray for a moment.

“What’s the commotion?”

“No idea,” Erza muttered, pulling her hand away from her sword and rising to her feet. “Wait here.”

“Erza?”

“I’m the least likely to cause a scene,” she pointed out, not unkindly. Natsu might be their main concern at the moment, but Gray had been on the receiving end of similar treatment when people had caught a glimpse of his Tiefling features, and perhaps she was being paranoid, but the commotion had her worried. Gray looked like he was going to argue with her for a moment, and she could see his tail whipping against his ankle before he growled something under his breath and sank back, waving her onwards. “I’ll be right back,” she said, before plunging back into the heaving tavern, finding it harder to move through this time, as they had formed a solid crowd around the newcomer, but she was stubborn and fought her way forward with a growing sense of dread as she caught the fear in their faces – particularly of the non-humans.

_Gray. Natsu…_

****

    True to his word, Natsu hadn’t wandered far, not least because he didn’t trust himself not to get lost in the unfamiliar city. Usually, he would be able to find his way back easily enough, but there were too many smells and sounds here to confuse him, and he didn’t want to face Erza’s wrath if he did get lost. She might only be human, but she was scarier than anyone he’d ever met. Still, that didn’t stop him from bristling under her recent protectiveness, even though he knew that she had good cause, rubbing at the bandages still wrapped around his midriff, from where they’d been jumped on the road because he’d been identified as a half-born. The wound wasn’t too serious, although it itched something awful now that he was thinking about it, and he wished that they could risk seeking out a Cleric to get it properly healed, but even he could admit that wasn’t an option at the moment. Although maybe in Crocus they could find someone who would be willing to help and look the other way while doing so.

“This is getting silly Happy,” Natsu muttered, knowing that probably wasn’t an option, and reaching up to scratch his familiar behind the ear, a small smile slipping out as the cat melted around his shoulders, purring loudly in his ear. “Sure, I have magic, and I’m half-born, but that doesn’t make me special. Gray has magic, and we’ve encountered plenty of others that have it too…and being half-born? What does that matter?” He demanded, glancing down and cautiously holding out his draconic hand, the claws carefully trimmed back to keep them out of the war. Growing up he had loved his draconic features, the glistening of the scales that were just a couple of shades brighter than his skin, and the heritage that it spoke of. He had spent hours of his childhood curled up on Igneel’s lap, listening to his stories about the Dragons of Ishgar that he was descended from, imagining that he was one of them, and vowing that one day he would learn to transform himself,

   Now, he longed for that for entirely different reasons, and he glanced wistfully at the sky above him. If he were up there, he wouldn’t have to worry about people seeing what he was, and deciding to attack him or his companions, or about the weight of some rumour that might not even be true. He sighed, not even Happy’s purring enough to settle him today, and he found himself beginning to turn back in the direction of the Tavern – as much as Gray bugged him, especially at the moment when the other Tiefling was being weirdly protective, he needed the company, and Gray was always a welcome distraction. Although not being able to indulge in their usual arguments and brawling, was a further damper on his spirits. Still, it was better than being caught up in his own circular thoughts.

    He had just crossed back over to the side-street that led back down to where the tavern lay, dodging out of the path of a horse and cart that didn’t seem to be in the mood to wait for anyone when a shiver went down his spine. He was being watched. Around his neck, Happy tensed and hissed, his tail beginning to lash against Natsu’s shoulder, and he reached up to pat his familiar with one hand, while the other slipped down to the component pouch hanging from his belt. Grimacing as he remembered his promise to be careful, even as he slowly lifted his head, letting his gaze rove across the street as he sought out the threat.

    It wasn’t hard to find, and for a moment Natsu was frozen in place as he studied the group that was gathering on the opposite corner, gazes locked on him. For a wild moment, he wished that he had learned message or something similar so that he could let Erza and Gray know what was happening, knowing that Happy would refuse to leave him unless it was absolutely necessary. But he knew that the pair would come rushing out here, and he didn’t want them caught up in his mess. Instead, as he let his gaze wander over the group of seven – a mixture of humans, half-elves and what looked like a half-orc lurking – regular people and faces that he had never seen before in his life, he reached up and lowered his hood, ignoring Happy’s yowl of protest. If this was going to happen, he refused to hide in any way, pushing the folds out of the way so that his arm, and the scales that crept up the side of his neck and curled across his cheek.

    There was a voice in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like a certain red-head, telling him that this was stupid and not to make the situation worse. However, he had never claimed to be the smartest member of their group, and the last few weeks of tension were rising up, a breaking point that he hadn’t been aware that he was teetering on being reached, and he bared his teeth, allowing Infernal to tinge his words as he shouted to them.

“What the hell are you looking at?”

 


End file.
